A Secret's Cost
by JediwithaTARDIS
Summary: Gwen Stacy's life turned upside down when she was 12 years old. Besides gaining a new residence in Avengers tower, she also acquired some sticky powers. Now at 16 years old, Gwen finds herself doing another 360 when a new darkness looms at Oscorp and she starts asking Spider-Man for help. But, she also finds herself falling for Peter Parker, a boy with secrets of his own.
1. Chapter 1

**A Secret's Cost**

 _One: A Spark_

 **New York, New York**

 **9:37 PM**

 **Drug** **Deal Mission**

"Director Fury, I see them."

"Do you need back-up? How many of them are there?"

My green eyes dart around in the alley underneath me. Then, I whisper into my communicator, "About four. And, no, I don't need back-up. I never do."

He laughs,"So independent. Be careful, Spider-Woman and remember, kick their ass and leave them for them for the cops. Or Spider-Man. But, take the drugs and bring them back to headquarters."

With that, I turn down the brightness on my communicator, and pull the hood of my costume over my head, concealing my face. A few blonde strands fly out of the hood as I jump from the ledge of a small, silent apartment. I hear their whispers as I creep through the shadows cast on the brick walls. I've been on many missions like this many times, this one is no different. I've been crime fighting since I was thirteen. I wanted to be just like my dad. He was a cop, he saved lives everyday. My mom was intelligent; she was a lawyer and she gave me great advice when I needed it. I miss them. But, I never talk about them, or my brothers. I don't like to remind myself of what happened.

I listen intently as they make the deal, then; I press my index and middle finger to my palm.

 _Twip!_ My web connects to the man standing in the middle of the four men. The one who was holding the drugs. I pull him back, slamming his back to the ground. He cries out as the drugs drop to the concrete.

"Hey!" One of the men shouts. All of them whip out their guns, and point it wildly into the sky. Typical, and way too easy.

I free fall from the wall, and meet them at ground level. They point their shaking guns at me. I roll my eyes from underneath my hood, and lean down to snatch the drugs from the ground.

"What kind of drugs are these?" I ask bluntly.

It seemed to happen in slow motion before my eyes. The spark of the bullet flew past me as I turned my head to the side. Another one was heading for my leg, but I jump as it flies below me. Another one came a little bit too fast for my liking. As I landed back down to the ground, it skimmed my side.

I sigh, _I tried asking nicely…or bluntly...shut up, Gwen._

I stand my ground and throw a quick punch to the closest drug dealer. He cries, holding his nose. I throw a swift kick to the side of his head. He crumbles to the ground. The next idiot tries to run away, back down the alley. I laugh, and wait for him to reach the end of the alley. Then,I sling a web to his back and pull him down to the ground. His girly scream sends me into a hysterical laugh. But, my laugh quickly ends when the other asshole sends a blow to the back of my head with his gun. _Damn…_

I spin around and chop him in the neck. He let's out a choking sound as he stumbles backward. I slide to the floor, and kick him behind the knees. He falls forward, and I press my knee to his spine. I grab the back of his arms, and pull his ear to my lips.

" _What kind of drugs are these?"_

"I don't know!"

I press harder.

"Uh…wait, wait I know it! It-It's synthetic marijuana!"

"Who's your supplier?"

He stays silent.

My grip on his arm tightens, " _Who's your supplier?_ "

"Rosard Gomez!" He yells when the pain becomes too much.

"Where were you planning on selling it?"

"The high school, eh, the science one!"

I roll my eyes, "Where?"

"Midtown!" He screams.

Midtown Science High School, I go there. Along with Pietro and Wanda.

My side started to throb.

"Now, was that so hard? I'm done with you. Now, you can wait for the cops to pick up the trash."

I drag the four men to the wall, and tie them up near the trash can. With a long sigh, I jump from the alley and swing myself back to Avenger's tower.

* * *

I had been living in Avenger's tower since I was twelve. Wanda and Pietro had found me in the street after my parents and my brothers were murdered, the night I got my powers. But, that was a very long time ago.

Wanda and Pietro are my best friends. They treat me as if I'm their sibling. Ever since that night, we would play together, train together, fight together...and occasionally get bullied together. I could always count on the dynamic duo, no matter what.

I felt the same way about Natasha and Steve. They were like my adoptive parents. In the beginning, Natasha seemed hesitant around me. She would look at me with calculating eyes, but I think she grew fond of me after a while. Steve was like a dad from the start, stern and guiding. But, he can be over protective. He doesn't want me to fight.

I crawl through my window, with a hand pressed against my side.

I make my way over to my desk drawers, where the typical teenager keeps pencils, I keep bandages. Don't tell Steve.

I wince as I start to wrap my side. The door opens,

"Need some help?"

I know I don't really have a say, so with a nod I sit down on my bed and let Nat come and wrap my side.

"What was it this time?" She asks, hands not leaving my side.

"Um, I had to stop a drug deal, and bring the drugs to Fury. But, I'll bring them to him tomorrow, they're over there." I say lamely, pointing to my bookshelf.

She nods, "Tomorrow is your birthday, what do you want to do?"

I wince, "Nothing. I actually completely forgot about that."

She puts a safety pin in the bandage, "Come on, we have to do something. Why don't you go out with Pietro and Wanda tomorrow night?"

To make her happy I say, "Okay, but only for a little bit."

"There you go, now get some sleep. And I won't mention this to Steve."

"Thanks Nat."

With the smallest of smiles, she leaves the room.

* * *

My eyes open to the usual sounds that ring through the tower.

To say mornings at the tower are hectic is a bit of an understatement.

I slide out of bed, and tug on a white blouse and a navy blue cardigan. Pairing that up with a navy blue skirt, and a pair of brown boots. I leave my my hair down.

I make my way out of my room, cue the hectic scene.

To start, Tony is running around with his Lucky Charms, claiming he has to install some sort of improvement in the Iron Man suit. Wanda drinks her tea quietly on the couch, while her brother speeds to grab the last Pop Tart from from Bruce. Steve drinks his coffee and reads the paper, not paying attention to the distracting scene in front of him. Nat's probably training. An echo of "Happy Birthdays" fill the morning air.

Where do I fit in here? No where, I grab a bagel at the corner store on the way to school.

"Where are we going tonight, Gwen?"

Before I can open my mouth, Steve cuts in, "You're going out?"

"Well, yeah only to a movie, I guess." I say light heartedly, grabbing my books.

He gives me a stern look, "Just be careful."

"It's just a freaki-" Pietro says, until his sister cuts him off.

"She'll be fine, Steve." Wanda says, glaring at her brother.

With a small huff, Steve dismisses us and we make our way to school.

* * *

The hallways are jammed in its usual clatter. A friendly banter to my left, and some gossip to my right. I've never really had time for any of the two. But, I do have time for debate. I struggle to reach my locker as Pietro and Wanda make their way to theirs.

I don't have any friends at Midtown Science. Mary-Jane was my friend. Until she joined Liz Allen's clan. Now we're simply acquaintances.

Wanda and Pietro are my only real friends. It's better this way. Our hero lives simply cannot cut into our normal lives. People could get hurt. My parents learned that the hard way. Besides, I'm pretty sure I go unnoticed here. Which is a good thing, no need to draw as much attention as I get in the streets.

I throw my books into my bag, and make my way to first period.

* * *

Lunch comes quicker than can be expected. I meet Pietro and Wanda under our usual oak tree spot. My communicator flickers, Fury is calling.

"What is it?" I ask impatiently, not wanting to use my communicator in public.

"Tone." A rough voice cuts through.

Grinding my teeth together, I say, "Yes, sir?"

"Damn right, that's more like it. Where's my drugs?"

"I can bring them over to you after school," Wanda nudges me, "gotta go."

Without waiting for a response, I end the call. "What is it?" I ask her, but I don't need a response before I see bimbo Liz Allen, her idiot boyfriend and her crew of polished morons make their way over to us. Here we go again…

Her heels dig into the ground next to me, "Do you have that paper I asked for?"

I bite back a smirk, "No."

Her blonde eyebrows draw together, "Why not? It's not like you have a life, Stacy."

Oh, if only she knew, "Because I don't write papers for anyone. Plus, we're on two different levels of writing and grammar. If I wrote your paper, no one would believe you wrote it. "

Pietro and Wanda snicker.

She scoffs, "Well, I don't want scum like you writing my papers! Especially when you've always got the two weirdos by your side!"

I stand up, "They're not weird."

"Yeah they are, Stacy. The immigrants and the dork, what a joke!" She laughs, her friends laugh along. Including MJ.

"Hey guys, I heard that poor Stacy here doesn't want anyone over to her foster home because it's full of rats!" They laugh even more. We begin to have onlookers.

Flash leans down and begins to taunt, "Where are your parents, Stacy? Bet they left you for dead. Bunch of shit parents, if you ask me. What about you, immigrants? Parents die in some washed up town of dead beats?"

Wanda's eyes glow red, my fist clench. But then Pietro grabs both of our wrist. We can't do this. It'll blow our cover.

But, then something happens. Something that never happens.

"Leave em' alone, Flash." A soft, but firm tone says.

I look over Flash's shoulder, and see a tall boy, with messy brown hair and big brown eyes. I know him, he's in my history class. What's his name?

"Stay out of this Parker. Go take a picture of a bird or something." Flash scoffs.

"Yeah, beat it dork. Unless you want to join them."

He's about to say something, but then the bell rings.

* * *

It's in my last period that I see Peter Parker again. He's sitting in front of me.

"Alright guys, I'm going to start pairing you up for your projects. Remember, your projects are due on June 17th, that's exactly a month from now…" Mr. Woods trails on, but I get distracted.

Hesitantly, I tap on Peter's shoulder. He turns around with wide eyes.

"Hi, um, I'm Gwen. I just wanted to, you know, say thank you. For what you did for Pietro, Wanda, and I, you didn't have to do that." I smile. His cheeks turn pink.

"You-you're welcome. It was really no problem though, Flash has been giving me problems ever since I was in Middle School." He says nervously.

"Parker! Stacy! Since you two are so chatty, you guys can be partners."

Peter's mouth hangs agape, and I look at him nervously. What has gotten into me? I'm never nervous.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for him to catch us talking. I'm sure there was someone else you wanted to be partners with…"

His eyebrows scrunch together, "What? No, no it's okay! I want to be partners with you! We-Well...what I meant to say was that I wouldn't mind being partners with you…"

"Oh, well-"

"If I catch you two talking one more time, then it's going to be a detention."

We stayed silent until the end of class.

* * *

I catch Peter by his locker at the end of the school day.

"Hey." He says as I approach him.

"Hi," I smile, "I was just wondering what days you would be available to do the project."

He ponders for a moment, "Tuesday's and Thursday's okay with you?"

"Yeah, perfect actually."

He smiles, "Your place or mine?"

Oh shit.

"Uh, yours." I say, but it comes out rushed. He doesn't seem to notice, though.

"Come on birthday girl!" Pietro calls from across the hall.

I sigh, "That's my cue."

"Today's your birthday?" He asks.

I nod.

His smile widens, "Happy Birthday, Gwen."

"Thanks, Peter. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely."

My heart skips a beat, and my smile stays plastered on my face all the way to the movies.

* * *

 **Alright! I'm finally done with this chapter! I've been honestly wanting to write this story for so long! Don't worry, all of the Avengers will be playing a role in this story, even though this one mainly focuses on Spider-Gwen and Spider-Man. Please review and tell me if you liked it so I can know if I should continue or not! Thank you!**


	2. The Recruit

**A Secret's Cost**

Two: **The Recruit**

 **New York, New York**

 **9:06 PM**

 **Consultation with Nicholas Fury**

The cold air brushes past my face, light rain accompanies it.

The movie ended a little over a half hour ago. It was nice. It was some cheesy rom-com. Pietro ate all of the popcorn, and Wanda cried at the end. They want to do that stuff more often, and you know, maybe we should. Just because we have other...things to do doesn't mean we can't have fun together, right?

But, fun time is over now. It's my patrol time.

I swing from building to building, the drugs sitting heavily in my pocket. I enjoy my free swinging time, it gives me a chance to think things over, and to watch for any crime. Occasionally, I'll see Spider-Man, but I make sure to stay as hidden as possible. No need for confrontation.

I make sure my next swing sends me high into the air, the S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier is close. I send a web to the bottom of the Helicarrier, and I fling myself over to it. Crawling on the cool metal, I make my way onto the runway. Even in the dark hours of the night, the runway is crawling with S.H.I.E.L.D agents and pilots.

Nodding to agents I know, I make my way to Fury's office. I've known almost everyone since I was little, they're pretty much family. Although the normal family affections can't be displayed at work.

"Fury," I knock, "it's me."

"Come in."

I barge inside and throw the drugs onto his desk. He looks at me blankly.

"What kind of drugs are these?"

With a sigh, I flop onto the modern chair across from him and take off my hood.

"Supposedly, they're synthetics. Synthetic marijuana to be exact. Can I have my assignment now?"

He looks at me sternly, "No. Tell me where you messed up during the mission."

"No where."

"Bull-shit, you were injured."

I roll my eyes, "Did Natasha tell you?"

He leans forward, "Agent Romanoff didn't tell me anything. Your weird side bend told me everything I needed to know."

I do the smart thing, I stay silent.

He massaged his temples, "Agent Stacy, how many times do you think you've been injured on your missions?"

I start to count my fingers.

A binder lands harshly onto the desk, "These are all of your injuries. These date back to when you started at 13. You've got over 200 injuries. Some were serious."

I sit up straight and start to flip through the binders pages. My eyebrows furrow.

"Nick, most of these injuries happened when I was a sidekick. And they're petty. A sprained finger? Are you serious?" I flip through the pages faster, my fingers catching on some of them.

"I can see that. But when you stopped wearing the little black mask and you became Spider-Woman, you're injuries got worse."

He's got a point. Dislocated shoulder, broken cheekbone, bullet in the abdomend…

I close my eyes, and close the binder.

"What was the point in showing me this?" I ask softly.

"I want to assign you a partner."

"What? Why?" I sit up straight.

"You need someone to watch your back, Stacy. Before you injure yourself so badly that you can't come back from it."

"Okay, okay, listen I'll be more careful, just...no partners."

"I've already assigned you one."

I roll my eyes, "Oh yeah? Who?"

"Spider-Man."

I clutch the chair so hard that I feel the metal bend, "Didn't we already offer him a job? He turned it down didn't he?"

"Well, let's just say I can make him an offer that he won't resist."

"What's the offer?" I ask.

"That, is none of your business. Your job is to get his web-ass over here, by tomorrow night. No questions. Now go, you have patrol."

"Nick?"

"I said no questions."

"No, I just...um, I've got to do a project on Thursday, after school." I get out of chair.

"Fine. Just be back by 8:30 and get Spider-Man."

I nod and head back to the city.

Spider-Man and I, as partners? Oh boy…

 **•••**

 **Queens, New York**

 **3:43 PM**

 **History Project with Peter**

Peter told me he lived in Forest Hills, Queens. I liked Forest Hills. There were a lot of trees, and village like houses. It was different compared to the jungle that didn't have trees, but bright lights and police sirens.

I find Peter's apartment with ease. A small brick home with a glass door.

Gingerly, I pull down my sweater over my skirt and make my way to Peter's door. I press my finger to the doorbell, and wait.

A woman, around late 40s early 50s makes her way to the door with a bright smile on her face and a pair of oven mitts around her hands.

"Can I help you?" She smiles.

"Yes, I'm here to see Peter. We have a project to work on together." I say politely, shifting in the cool summer breeze.

"Oh, yes I apologize. Peter usually does his projects with his friend, Harry. What's your name, sweetheart?" She asks.

"That's okay," I smile, "I'm Gwen. Gwen Stacy."

"Lovely, you can call me Aunt May. Peter is just upstairs."

She beckons me inside, and calls for Peter. We hear a chair pull back on hardwood floors and a few heavy thuds of someone moving above us.

Then, in all of his awkward disheveled glory, Peter Parker stands at the top of the staircase. With glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose. When he sees me, he blushes.

"He-Hey Gwen," He says nervously.

"Hi Peter." I smile.

An awkward silence passes before Aunt May cuts in, "Alright, you two, get upstairs and do your homework."

We both manage a small laugh and I follow Peter up to his room. A collection of books and papers littered his desk, along with his computer. His bed is unmade, and photographs decorate the walls. A few skateboards cling to the walls.

"Sorry, about the mess. I never seem to have time to clean up." He rubs the back of his neck.

"I know the feeling." I laugh. He smiles.

I take a seat on his bed, and he sits in his desk chair.

I look at his computer, "Is that a picture of the debate team?"

"What?" He looks back at his computer, "Oh that? I was just um...editing...cause I took the pictures of the debate team."

I smirk, "But isn't that your wallpaper?"

He blushes, "No, nope, nothing to see here." He shuts the computer off. I laugh and we begin to exchange notes that we had taken during class. I never knew that Peter was so smart, he's never at any of the award ceremonies for Principal's List and whatnot. That's when I remember the glasses.

"Hey, I never knew you wore glasses. You never really wear them at school." I trail on.

He looks at me and pushes the glasses up the bridge of his nose as if on cue, "Oh yeah, they were my Dad's. I just...um wear them at home. I use contacts during the day." He says hesitantly.

"Where's your Dad?" I ask, he stiffens. Nice, Gwen.

"Him and my Mom passed when I was little."

"So did mine." I say softly, he looks at me curiously.

I swallow and say, "Your Aunt told me that you usually do projects with Harry Osborn, are you sure you don't want to be his partner? I'm sure Mr. Woods wouldn't mind…"

I feel guilty. I didn't mean to make Peter be my partner. He deserves to be with his best friend, who knows not to bring up certain topics. I'll probably end up with Harry's partner, whoever that is.

He stops scribbling notes and says, "What? No, no, Gwen it's fine. Besides, I always work with Harry, I want to work with you. That is, if you want to work with me?"

"Yes!" I say rather abruptly his eyes widen, but he laughs.

"Alright, now about that project…"

 **•••**

 **New York, New York**

 **8:32 PM**

 **Lookout for Spider-Man**

"I've got eyes on the target." I whisper into my communicator.

"If he refuses to come, you know what to do." Fury says.

"Got it."

Spider-Man is currently beating the crap out of some petty cat burglars. They had stolen from some nearby city bank. I considered stopping them because Spider-Man was taking too long to get here. But, alas he's here. A little late but, he's here.

After he's down to his last guy, which is past the point of knocked out, I pull up my hood, and ask, "Are you done yet?"

He pauses in his punches, and drops the guy to the ground, "Well, this is quite the surprise. Every time I try to talk to you, you run away."

I approach him cautiously, "Listen, I didn't come here to talk. I came to make you an offer."

He laughs, "If the offer is for a coffee, then I'll take it."

"What? No, I'm certainly not offering you a coffee." I sneer.

He draws closer, "Then what are you offering me?"

I clench my teeth, "A partnership with S.H.I.E.L.D."

He turns away, "Sorry, but I don't really want to join an organization that drops cities from skies and that opens up wormholes over the city."

"Hey," I say, he turns,"can you just come with me to talk to my boss? You can refuse him there. But, I have orders to take you to him by the time my shift is up."

"I'm not going. I've got things to do."

"Look bug boy, we can do this the easy way or the hard way." I shout after him.

He cast me one last glance and says, "Bug boy? That's cute."

He turns back around, and gets ready to throw a web at a nearby building to get away. Not this time…

I grab the tranquilizer webs from my utility belt and put them into my web-shooters. I aim for his leg, and then I shoot.

 **•••**

I drop Spider-Man into the chair across Fury's desk. Fury raises an eyebrow at me.

I sit in the chair next to Spider-Man, and say, "What? You told me to get him here, and I did."

Fury sighs and spins in his chair, "How long until he wakes up?"

I shrug my shoulders, "I don't know. Maybe in 5 or 10 minutes."

I wait there with Fury for two of the minutes, and then I make an excuse to use the bathroom. Instead of going to the bathroom, I go to the runway and pace.

I like the runway, it's like a thinking place for me. A lonely set of clouds space out underneath the carrier, and the bright runway lights poke holes through the clouds above it. Sometimes, if it's not cloudy, you can see the city when you look over the edge. I take these free moments to try to appreciate its beauty, even if it's for a few seconds.

There's a lot of reasons why I don't want Spider-Man to be my partner. It's not...that I don't like him or what he stands for. It's just that having a partner is like having a burden. You have to make sure they don't get hurt, or killed. My mom and my dad were partners, look at how they turned out. It's easier to watch out for myself. Even if it means more physical pain on my end.

I walk back to Fury's office, but before I open the door, I watch as him and Spider-Man negotiate through the glass pane. Curiosity taking over me, I open the door and take back my spot next to Spider-Man, all conversation stops.

Impatient, I ask, "So, is he doing it or not?"

"Yes," Fury confirms, "but we have some rules."

"When isn't there?"

Fury glares at the both of us, "No identity revealing. It's better if you're strictly partners and that's all. Both of you are going to start training rounds."

I sit up, "But, I already did those!"

Fury rolls his eye, "I don't give a damn. You'll be coaching him, then."

I slouch.

Spider-Man coughs and says, "When's the training?"

Fury thinks for a moment, "Thursday's, after school."

"No!" Spider-Man and I both exclaim.

I hold back the blush, even though both of them can't see it, "I...um, Thursday's aren't good for me."

"Yeah, me neither." Spider-Man chimes in.

Fury squints at us, "Okay...then Saturday. Since you can't train during the week. Spider-Man, Spider-Woman's patrol usually begins at 8 o'clock. So, you need to be at Avenger's tower by 7:45 to leave together. Understood?"

Spider-Man swallows, "Yes."

"Good. Patrol ends at 11:30. I'll get you that information we talked about as soon as you fulfill your requirements. You're both dismissed, no further questions. No patrol tonight either, it's already 11. Go."

Spider-Man and I both stand up abruptly and leave the room. I tell him to follow me to the Helicarrier runway.

"What's the information about?" I ask him in a whisper.

"Nothing." He says, he seems sad.

Still, I go on, "It must have been something if it made you want to be my partner."

He stops, "You're really pushy, ya know?"

I shrug, "Sorry. I'm just curious."

He doesn't comment.

The mild summer air hits us as soon as we reach the runway. He looks around wildly.

"How do we get down?" He asks.

I roll my eyes from underneath my hood, "We jump. Sling a web to the nearest building and you'll be fine."

I walk to the edge of the runway and prepare myself to take the jump.

"Hey, um, I saw that binder, of your injuries? Just...be careful." He says worriedly, but firmly.

My eyebrows shoot up from underneath my hood, but I murmur, "Okay."

I take the jump.

 **•••**

 **I have to apologize for not updating sooner. These last few days have been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for me. But, everything has been taken care of and I'm ready to write again! I've gotten my main plot for this story set up and I'm really excited to share it with you guys! Sorry that this chapter was full of dialogue. :/**

 **Nerdyicesk8er: Thank you so much for your review! And, omg I also have a Spider-Gwen shirt, but note that I'm not wearing it right now. XD But, please let me know when you post your fanfic I would love to read it! Have a good day/night!**

 **my 3 eggs: Thank you for the review! And no, Peter was not active as a super hero until he was 15. Gwen, though, was training at 12 and began to be a sidekick at 13, but we'll get into that soon enough. ;) Have a good day/night!**

 **PraetorFable: Thank you for your review! It makes me so happy to know that you like my story. I too, know the struggle of looking for a Spider-Gwen and Spider-Man story. :( But, since I couldn't find one, I figured, what the heck I'll write one. XD Have a good day/night!**

 **Please drop me a review! I love seeing your responses!**


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